A Clever Trick of the Trade

Jul 12, 2012 11:16PM
● Published by Anonymous

Tip: Look to the wedding vendors for small-scale shower elements.

BAM! How clever? Trust me, you’re going to love it! The décor at my shower featured a couple of beautiful flower arrangements created by my wedding florist (Connie Clark), and among the tasty treats at the afternoon tea-themed shower, were cupcakes by none other than our favorite baker, Rachael Powers (Cakes by Rachael.) I’d actually tasted Rachael’s cupcakes before. In fact, ever since the tasting I’ve had to swing by to pick up a monthly fix—and while I knew everyone at the wedding would love them, the shower was proof. My hostesses were thoughtful enough to keep some of the details unique—we aren’t serving cupcakes at our wedding, rather a variety of other things—but it was a delicious way to see sort of a “dry run” in preparation. As for the flower arrangements—they were gorgeous. And while I had faith that we’d chosen a fabulous florist—she has nothing but five star reviews and great recommendations—I must admit that seeing arrangements that demonstrate exactly what I’m looking to have for the big day (though not exactly the same so everyone will see something new at the wedding), was quite reassuring. To boot, the shower took place on a 105-degree day, so I’m sure now, that both elements will travel well, even in the heat.

If you’re at all unsure about your vendor choice (and I encourage you to attending tastings and ask to see samples of vendors’ work to avoid the bulk of this), hiring them for contributions to the shower can be a great idea.

There are certainly wedding secrets to be kept—brides don’t want to spoil the surprise of every wedding detail they’ve planned,—and etiquette to maintain (brides: please don’t give your MOH a shower to-do list). But including wedding vendors at a pre-wedding event can be a fantastic opportunity to not only surround a bride with things she loves, but also to allow her a sigh of relief, and, done wisely, can do it without exposing all her wedding will offer. After all—it’s unlikely that shower guests would think to assume that the desserts or the flowers are a preview of what’s to come. You know, unless you blog about it…

So that’s the tip. Look to wedding day vendors to supply small-scale elements for the shower. Turns out—it’s a fabulous idea.